Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Massachusetts is $35,380/year ($17.01/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.09), that's roughly $35,348 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,347/month, about 97.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Massachusetts. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $35K get you in Massachusetts?
About dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
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What this looks like in Massachusetts
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers pay in Massachusetts tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $34K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,347/month, which is 98.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Massachusetts
Entry-level dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary by metro in Massachusetts
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town | $38K | +7% | 560 |
| Springfield | $36K | +2% | 530 |
| Pittsfield | $36K | +1% | 210 |
| Worcester | $36K | +1% | 870 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $35K | -0% | 170 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $35K | -2% | 8,890 |
Compare to other states
Track dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Massachusetts numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Massachusetts?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 98.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Massachusetts?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 125% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper a high-paying job in Massachusetts?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Massachusetts pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Massachusetts?
The median is $35,380 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers can clear $50,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Massachusetts?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,391/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 98.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary go in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary is worth about $35,348 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.